


Friction-proof

by Green_Sphynx



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Barry Allen Whump, Cisco gets to make new and special toys, Happy Ending, M/M, Major Character Injury, Permanent Injury, Physical Disability, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 09:33:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15816216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green_Sphynx/pseuds/Green_Sphynx
Summary: What if Barry could not recover from a broken spine? What if Zoom left him paralysed him for good? What if by breaking his back he defeated the Flash?No... there's no way short of killing Barry todefeatthe Flash.





	Friction-proof

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SophiaCatherine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaCatherine/gifts).



> I heard through the grapevine that superheroes with disabilities are highly under represented. Who am I to pass up an opportunity to put in some good and heavy Barry whump _and_ show that a disability is not the end of your life?
> 
> I made sure to have this entirely checked over by a wheelchair using fellow writer to minimise problematic content, but obviously every individual will have their own and personal point of view. If anything in this fic is offensive I would be glad to hear about it so we can see together what I can do to fix it. You can contact me on my Tumblr (greensphynx without the underscore) for a two-sided conversation on the matter.

_"…Barry got injured, badly. A complete spinal break between two lower thoracic vertebrae. He's fully paralysed waist down and… he needs you, Oliver."_

 

Felicity was going to come to see Barry too, but she refused to get on the bike with Oliver considering the state he left in. He could not really blame her, considering the number of speed limits and other traffic laws he broke on the way to Central City. She would take the train instead and that was just as well for Oliver, because it would give him a little time to have Barry to himself and give him the support he needed.

Oliver had no idea what exactly he had expected upon arrival. Probably Barry battered and bruised and asleep. Maybe sitting up and eating, because Barry was always eating. Likely Caitlin running tests and Barry's family crowding him worriedly.

He was not expecting Barry in the hospital bed with the sheets pulled over his face as if to hide from the world, and Iris gingerly mopping up what looked like the remains of a pizza from the floor.

He would've stopped to ask what happened to the floor if he wasn't in such a hurry to get to Barry. But he would not stop for anything until he could touch his lover now, so he side-stepped Iris and the stains of tomato sauce to rush to the bed, not even pausing to pull a chair close.

"Barry," he said urgently, pausing only to say Barry's name before daring to touch, not wanting to startle him. The sheet flew off immediately and Barry flashed forward to cling to Oliver's chest, making sure Oliver got no time to see his face.

The fact that it was only Barry's upper body moving made Oliver feel a little sick to the stomach. _Angry. Furious at the one who did this to Barry_.

"I'm here." He held Barry close, shuffling closer to the head of the bed to ease the strain this likely put on Barry's body. Or did it? Oliver had no idea, no clue what Barry was feeling and what he was _not_ feeling. All he knew was that Barry was shaking slightly in his arms, and there were the tell-tale small shocks going through him that spoke of sobs.

Oliver pretended to ignore the sniffling and the muffled sobs. He pretended not to notice Iris giving them a wary look before backing out of the room, giving them the privacy Barry clearly needed. Oliver only stopped pretending when he felt Barry's breathing slow to the steady rhythm of sleep, and then he gently supported his sleeping lover back down on the bed and quietly grabbed himself a chair.

Barry's face was splotched red from crying and there was a decidedly unhappy pinch to his expression, but at least he was calm for now. Oliver would stay with him to make sure it stayed that way.

 

> "Barry… you're going to be late."
> 
> Nothing but a soft mumble from his lover, so Oliver sat down on the bed beside him, leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. Then he proceeded to blow in his ear, which got a better response.
> 
> Barry made a distinctly disgruntled noise before pulling the sheets over his head to hide under. He shifted as if to turn away from Oliver, and even if he didn't get far it sure sent the message. _Someone_ was not ready to get out of bed.
> 
> "One of these days your Captain's patience is going to run out," Oliver told him mildly. He supposed it should be a pleasant surprise _that_ got a response at all, even if it was an annoyed and muffled groan.
> 
> He shook his head, more amused than agitated at Barry's eternal morning problems, and stood to leave for the kitchen. This time Oliver wasn't the one getting far, a fast hand shooting out from under the covers to grab the fabric of his pants and keep him from walking away.
> 
> "Not as asleep as you seem to be, Barry?"
> 
> Another muffled noise belied that. Barry was definitely still asleep, or mostly asleep.
> 
> This time Oliver laughed openly and he pried Barry's hand from his pants to walk out for real this time. There were protesting groans that he ignored, because he wasn't planning on staying away for long.
> 
> No, he was right there again only half a minute later, this time with a mug of coffee and a glass of cold water.
> 
> The smell of coffee got slightly more active noises from Barry, and even a little more movement.
> 
> It was the glass of water that did the trick though.
> 
> Not even Barry could stay asleep when Oliver dumped cold water in his face.

 

"What happened?" Oliver's voice was low for the sleeping speedster, but harsh and unforgiving for the rest, even if he knew none of the people present were responsible for what happened to Barry.

"Zoom," was Wells' gruff answer, and Oliver levelled him a glare for not keeping his voice down.

"Zoom? This guy who's been sending metas from _your_ earth to kill Barry? You let him come here and- and do _this_?"

The new Wells stepped forward, looking _angry_ , and ready to argue. So ready that Oliver rose to his feet as well, careful to keep his hold on Barry's hand light as it had been. 

Caitlin was the one to quickly intercede, before something bad could happen. Oliver was grateful, mostly because he would prefer to wipe the floor with this Wells somewhere else than on Barry's bedside.

"It was all a lot more complicated than that," Caitlin soothed, voice reasonable as ever. "None of us ever intended this to happen."

"And what _did_ happen?"

"Zoom broke his spine like a toothpick," Cisco answered sourly. "Barry never stood a chance. And he knew it too, or he wouldn't have gotten so angry when he woke up here." He vaguely gestured to the ground and Oliver remembered the mess Iris had been cleaning. It was so unlike Barry to start throwing things in a fit of anger. That was more like something Oliver would do.

When Barry was upset he would _run_ a few laps to cool his head.

Oliver swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the floor for a long few seconds while he collected himself.

"So… how long until he heals? He will heal, won't he?"

The silence that followed was disconcerting, and when he looked up he found Caitlin exchanging worried glances with Jay.

"I'm… we can't be certain he will. It's not common for people to recover from this level of injury - actually anyone else would've been dead on the spot, with the violent way Zoom handled him."

"But Barry heals really fast," Oliver pressed on, not ready to accept this. Not even close. "If most people would be dead and he _isn't_ , doesn't that mean he has a chance to heal as well?"

"He has a chance," Caitlin allowed, more reluctantly than would've Oliver liked. "But it's very slim. We'll have to wait and see, but there's nothing I can do for him but _hope_."

Oliver felt _sick, he felt sick and he needed to go outside and hurl._ But he couldn't leave Barry's side, so instead he squeezed the clammy hand he was holding.

_He had never been the best at hope_ .

 

> "I hate you," Barry grouched, the empty coffee mug tucked between his legs as he wheeled into the kitchen.
> 
> Oliver turned to show him the plate on which he had been stacking pancakes, and Barry's eyes widened.
> 
> "You're forgiven. Did I mention I love you, Ollie?"
> 
> "Every morning at breakfast, Barr."
> 
> "If that bothers you, maybe you should let me get up first and make breakfast sometimes." Despite his words, Barry was more than happy to take the giant stack of pancakes and inhale them in a matter of seconds. Oliver brought him the second stack with a kiss to the top of his head, and sat across from him at the table to eat his own breakfast.
> 
> "I'm not sure if you're even capable of waking up before me."
> 
> "Wanna bet?" Barry was glaring at him now, but the cute kind of glare that meant he wasn't angry. Just determined to show Oliver he was wrong - and that never really ended well for Barry.
> 
> He cocked an eyebrow in amusement. "What do I win if you lose?"
> 
> Barry faltered - he really was smarter than he made himself out to be sometimes.
> 
> Oliver stopped him before he could get himself too worked up trying to think of a good thing to wager, waving his fork at his boyfriend with a chuckle. "Never mind. Do you need me to drive you to work?"
> 
> Barry glanced at the clock and grunted, quickly shoving the remainder of his pancakes in his mouth as he realised what time it was. "How about I run there myself and I say you did."
> 
> "Like every morning," Oliver agreed, amused. He leaned over to receive the superspeed goodbye kiss that he knew would come and quietly relished in the rush of wind when Barry flashed by and out of the door.
> 
> Cisco would surely complain about the damage Barry was doing to his day-to-day wheelchair by flashing about in it. Again.

 

The fact that Barry healed fast both made it better and worse.

He didn't want to keep laying around in the hospital bed, despite what Caitlin and Oliver were telling him to. He hadn't been down for a whole twenty-four hours when he all but begged Oliver to help him into the old Wells' wheelchair, so at least he could move about. Oliver could tell how much it pained Barry to have to ask for help, so he gave in faster than he wanted, faster than Caitlin wanted.

He hated picking Barry up like this, see the pain as he flinched in the movement of his body, the tight hold he had on Oliver's shoulders.

Much worse was the sheer humiliation when the shift from laying down to being upright caused his bladder and bowels to release, no longer under his control with the paralysis.

Caitlin scrambled to show Cisco the equipment Barry was going to need so he could reproduce it rather than waiting for it being delivered somewhere, and Oliver was quick to whisk Barry away to the showers and help him clean up, trying to make it as little of an issue as possible.

_It was impossible._

Barry was crying silently in humiliation while Oliver helped him clean up, and no amount of hugs and kisses would make it stop, even if that normally tended to work just fine on Barry. It ended up as both a physical and emotional ordeal for both of them and despite Barry's insistence to get out of the bed, he fell back into an exhausted sleep in Oliver's arms before he could even get him back into the wheelchair.

He ended up carrying his boyfriend back to the bed and crawl in with him to hold him close this time.

At some point - _any_ point - this _had_ to get better.

 

> Oliver hopped over by the SCPD at lunchtime, only to find Barry too hard at work to come eat with him. Barry had proven himself worth any trouble ten times over within his first week after transferring from Central City to Star City, but even now he would tell Oliver he couldn't slack _yet_ when he tried to pull Barry away from his work for anything less than an emergency.
> 
> Oliver begrudgingly settled for collecting a kiss - a distracted kiss too, to make it worse - and left his boyfriend alone for the rest of the day. He was fairly sure that such patience at lunch gave him the right to be decidedly impatient when he went to pick Barry up in the evening and Barry made him wait almost an hour to 'finish up some reports'.
> 
> "Bringing that lateness to a whole new level there, Barr," he complained, folding the wheelchair once Barry was safely in the car.
> 
> "Blame judge Simons for kicking around her schedule," Barry grumbled, more annoyed than apologetic. That settled Oliver a little, because that meant it wasn't entirely Barry's fault. He knew Barry had been working himself double as hard because the wheelchair came with an extra layer of judgement from society, but he'd been trying to make Barry tone it down on the overwork before people were going to use it against him. At least this was a reason that wouldn't put them back into their disagreement on work ethics.
> 
> "I think I hear you say that more often." Oliver slipped in beside Barry, leaning over for a quick kiss. "I was going to make you that meatloaf you like, but it's too late to get started on something like that anymore."
> 
> Barry cringed, and he _did_ look apologetic now. "I'm sorry… we can just get take-out and I'll make it up to you for dessert?"
> 
> Oliver gave him a pointed look. "Will you now? You don't think you'll be racing over to Central City because you're worried Wally might not be able to handle a robbery, or a cat in a tree, or an old lady who needs help crossing the street?"
> 
> Barry pouted, pushing back in his seat with a huff and crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine, then I won't make it up to you for dessert. Suit yourself."

 

The second attempt was a little better.

Cisco had made Barry the equipment he'd need to… to do the things Oliver would leave him alone for, for now. So Oliver left him to get that settled, allowed Caitlin to take care of him because Barry had been humiliated enough in front of him, and only after that he returned to help Barry into the wheelchair.

Nothing went wrong as messily as the previous attempt. Barry wasn't looking happy at all but otherwise it all seemed fine.

Rather than letting Barry try to take control of the electronic wheelchair immediately, Oliver pushed him out of the med bay and into the cortex, allowing him to finally leave the room he'd been stuck in for days now. The cortex held his family, waiting for him, but also Cisco, Caitlin, Jay and by now Felicity as well. Felicity had arrived that morning but Barry had still been asleep when she came to check on him. Naturally, they had collectively refused to wake him up.

"Barry! I'm so glad to see you up and awake, I was so worried!"

Felicity came to hug him tight, and Oliver tensed up in alarm when he saw Barry overbalancing himself forward into the hug. But Barry didn't weigh all that much, and Felicity had him, supporting him up just fine even when she was suddenly given the weight of his upper body to carry.

"I'm fine," Barry croaked, not fooling anyone even a little. "Thank you for coming, Felicity."

"Of course I came, you idiot!" She made sure to press him back against the backrest of the wheelchair before letting him go, then smacked him lightly on the arm. "You've been in a coma for nine months too many for me not to come running when you get hurt like this!"

"I'm fine," he insisted weakly.

Oliver might have given him the benefit of doubt if Barry hadn't turned to look at Iris and Joe to the side and his whole upper body promptly overbalancing to the other side as he did. Oliver shot forward to catch him, pulling him back upright and not-so-smoothly wrapping his arms around Barry from behind to pretend he just intended to hug him like that.

Everyone was polite enough to pretend they bought it.

Barry, however, dropped his face and shook in frustration under Oliver's arms.

 

> In the end it was Oliver who got a call from Felicity that something was going on that needed his attention.
> 
> Barry stayed behind to munch away the leftovers of dinner while Oliver took off to disrupt an illegal arms sale. _Then_ Barry was called by her as well for a large fire, and he all but flew through a burning building to save the night guards patrolling inside followed by dousing the fire for good measure.
> 
> Oliver sometimes wondered if the fire brigade of Star City was happy or frustrated with the appearance of the Flash in their city. But they both made it back to their apartment unscathed, even if Barry smelled overwhelmingly like smoke.
> 
> "Okay, you're going straight into the shower, pretty boy." Oliver herded his lover to the bathroom, scrunching up his nose at the smell.
> 
> "You can't blame me for smelling like this after saving those lives, Ollie," Barry complained, and Oliver just scoffed in response.
> 
> "I'm not _blaming_ you, I'm just telling you that you have three seconds to get showering or there will be consequences."
> 
> "Consequences, huh? Scary."
> 
> Barry obeyed despite his sarcasm, and his Flash suit and special wheelchair were left abandoned on the balcony to air out by the time Oliver stripped from his own suit to join Barry in the shower. Barry had left his day-to-day wheelchair rather haphazardly in front of the shower after changing back to it when putting his specialised one outside to air, so Oliver kneed it aside before he could scoot in behind Barry, now on a shower chair. He wrapped his arms around his lover's shoulders from behind and kissed his cheek until Barry turned his head to meet his lips.
> 
> "I'll wash your hair for you," Oliver offered, voice warm and fond. The smile Barry offered him in return was blindingly bright, and Oliver dipped down for one more kiss before lifting Barry shower chair and all and placing him directly under the spray of water where he couldn't escape Oliver's hands.

 

"Will you _stop_ that? I'm not an invalid, Ollie!"

Oliver's hands froze where they had been, in the middle of pulling a comb through Barry's hair.

He realised belatedly that this was something Barry could easily do himself… he just wanted to take care of Barry, touch him as much as he could because he _knew_ Barry craved his every touch even when he wasn't hurt and upset. This was nothing but an attempt to soothe him, to calm him after needing Oliver to lift him from the bed and into the chair again. Barry was only up for a few hours at a time and he insisted on getting in the chair even though he clearly hated needing the help getting there.

But for Barry to snap at him…

Barry's hands clenched to fists in his lap, trembling with badly suppressed anger and humiliation. Oliver heard the intake of breath behind him and turned only just in time to give Cisco a glare in case he had something clever to say. Nobody needed to point out the irony in those words.

Cisco shut his mouth with a snap and promptly left them, to Oliver's relief. He could only hope that these angry outbursts from Barry would not end up putting a rift between him and his friends, because it was so unlike him to be like this. Sure, they would be understanding because Barry was clearly hurt… but for how long? He didn't know them well enough to know for sure, but he _did_ know that Barry would probably be needing his friends while getting through this.

"I didn't mean to demean you, Barry, I apologise."

He held the comb out to Barry to take it from him, but Barry ignored it, staring down at his trembling fists.

"I know." Barry's voice was so soft, Oliver almost didn't hear him. "I'm sorry, Ollie."

"There's nothing for you to apologise for." Oliver leaned over, keeping his movements slow and non-threatening while he pressed a short kiss to Barry's cheek. "I'm here to help you. You can tell me whenever I do something wrong."

Barry's hand shot up to grab at Oliver's wrist, tugging him back close when Oliver tried to stand upright again. Barry didn't look up, and Oliver was left standing in a half-crouch, confused.

"Please don't leave me?"

"I will never leave you, Barry. That's a promise."

Barry leaned forward and his arms were clamped around Oliver's waist the next moment, Barry's face burying into Oliver's shirt. Oliver's breath hitched in alarm initially, afraid Barry would fall over, but his speedster held on tight, and his balance had improved a lot already. So Oliver forced himself to calm down, holding Barry's shoulder with one hand and tangling his fingers into brown, fluffy hair with the other to rub Barry's scalp soothingly.

"I got you, Barry. I got you."

 

> The problem with Barry was that he was such a damn tease.
> 
> He already started humming happily when Oliver was just putting the shampoo in his hands, fingers rapping playfully against the shower chair beneath him, and the moment Oliver started to work a lather into Barry's hair his lover started to make these happy pleased sounds of his. He was full out moaning by the time Oliver rinsed his hair out with water and _honestly_ this was not something Oliver was going to let go.
> 
> Oliver didn't doubt Barry was fully aware of what a tease he was being, but his point was still proven for good measure when Barry laughed quite smugly at the feeling of Oliver's erection pressing between his shoulder blades.
> 
> Barry reached for Oliver's wrist to pull him around where Barry could smirk up at him. Oliver gave him his most put-out look in response to the flagrant teasing, but it only made Barry's smirk grow wider.
> 
> "Don't pout, Ollie. I wasn't just teasing without planning to give you a treat."
> 
> "You love to tease, don't pretend you don't."
> 
> "True."
> 
> Still, Barry was true to his word this time. He drew Oliver close by the hips until he could safely lean forward, keeping his hands on Oliver's hips so he wouldn't topple off the chair in his enthusiasm, and pressed his lips against the tip of his cock in an open-mouthed kiss. Oliver let out a pleased sigh in response, widening his stance a little for both of their stabilities while Barry's talented lips started to play their game.
> 
> It was as much of a tease as Barry's noises were, all light kisses and kitten licks without any proper friction, but that only served to work Oliver up for what was to come. Barry had learnt exactly how to play his most sensitive spots, how to tease him to the edge and then draw it out as long as he could until Oliver couldn't see straight. He knew Barry prided himself in blowing Oliver until Oliver could no longer keep standing from the intensity, and he loved every second of it.
> 
> His fingers wound into wet locks of hair, tugging ever so lightly to give Barry that pleasant pressure on his scalp. Barry gave a soft moan and in thanks he finally wrapped his lips around the head of Oliver's cock, hollowing his cheeks as he sucked around the sensitive skin.
> 
> "Fuck… Barry…"
> 
> Oliver had to breathe in deeply, and next thing he knew Barry was pressing forward, letting Oliver's cock sink deeper into his mouth. He stopped halfway, not taking Oliver into his throat when choking could mean accidentally breathing in water from the shower still spraying on Oliver's back, but he didn't need to. Barry looked beautiful and cheeky and perfect and Oliver would never demand more of him than he would willingly give.
> 
> _Especially if he did that thing with his tongue like he was doing now-_ Oliver nearly choked on a gasp, one hand shooting out to stabilise himself against the wet shower wall. He saw stars and at least half of them were in Barry's eyes twinkling up at him with both mischief and hunger.
> 
> Barry pulled off with an exaggerated pop, keeping himself upright with two hands on Oliver's hips.
> 
> "Ollie… I prepared before the shower. Will you take me to bed and fuck me?"
> 
> Oliver moaned before he could stop himself, then almost sobbed because he had to ask first. "Are you sure? You don't have to for me, Barry."
> 
> Barry shook his head and hunger and mischief were now replaced with fondness and warmth. "I'm sure. Even if I can't physically feel much I still love it when you fuck me, Ollie. There's nothing like seeing you over me, coming undone inside me… it's special and I _want it_."
> 
> Well, there was no arguing when Barry wanted something.
> 
> Oliver shut off the water and crouched to let Barry wrap his arms around his neck, grabbing Barry's thighs to hitch them up over his hips before standing and hurrying them to the bedroom. They might be dripping all over the hallway but they were _honestly not caring_.

 

"If his legs were going to heal, shouldn't he be feeling them by now, at least a little?"

Oliver gave Joe a nasty look for the insensitivity, but Caitlin answered the question anyway.

"His _legs_ are fully healed from the damage Zoom did. It's his spine that's the problem." She pulled up pictures on her tablet to show to Joe, and Oliver couldn't help but try to see as well despite himself. "The vertebrae and intervertrebal discs have are all restored at the expected healing rate for a speedster, but the spinal cord has proven to be not as flexible as we hoped. In normal people, nerve cells are infamous for not recovering from any damage, hence why people don't often recover from a broken spine. We had hoped that with Barry's accelerated healing, his nerves would heal at least a little, but it currently doesn't look like it."

"So you're saying he's paralysed for life?" Oliver asked sharply, unable to hold back. "You said he would heal!"

"I said we could _hope_ ," she corrected, looking very uncomfortable as she said it. "But the complete lack of progress is not founding that hope at all."

"So that's it?" Cisco's voice was shrill, and it made Oliver wince both for the sake of Barry - who was remaining awfully quiet through all this - and for Cisco himself and the unhappiness in his voice. "No more Flash? Zoom wins?"

"Barry still has his speed," Harry said, and Oliver wished his voice was hopeful instead of harsh and condemning. "Zoom is not done with him."

"Good, because I'm not done with Zoom." Oliver growled, putting a hand on Barry's shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze. But it wasn't taken with any form of thanks - rather, Barry grabbed his hand and pulled it sharply, looking up over his shoulder and cutting off the scathing remark that Harry was about to make.

"Absolutely not, Oliver. If Zoom comes after me again, you get out of the way and to safety. He will kill you if you get in his way."

"Better men have tried," Oliver scoffed. He knew Barry was right, of course. He was going to need one hell of a plan to beat a homicidal speedster like Zoom, and he was not ready as he was. If Zoom would show up now he would most certainly kill Oliver.

But better men _had_ tried and Oliver was not easily killed. He would find a way to beat this psychopath and he would kill Zoom for what he had done. Fuck any vows he might have made concerning killing people.

"Zoom is too strong," Barry insisted. "Please, Oliver. Please don't try to fight him, especially not by yourself." Oliver looked down at the waver in Barry's voice, surprised to find his eyes were steely and determined. "I'm _not_ losing you, Ollie."

Oliver _faltered_. 

He could not say no to Barry asking like that. But he couldn't just let this go either - he could not just leave Zoom to terrorise someone else when he _needed_ to have his vengeance, if only a little, for what he had done to Barry. This could not go unpunished.

But Barry…

"Zoom will most likely kill us all, anyway." It was easier to focus back on Harry, to make a soft, threatening noise at his words, to ignore the look on Barry's face for now. "I thought Barry could beat him. I was wrong. I should never have put my trust in _any_ Flash."

"Harry!"

"Come on-"

"Harry please-"

Oliver wanted to be right with the rest, but while they all turned on Harry, _Barry_ turned away. Oliver was one step in Harry direction before realising that, Barry using the controls of the electric wheelchair to turn it around and ride it through the door.

Oliver hesitated, unsure if he should give Barry space or not. Maybe he was too angry to be there for Barry properly right now, but Barry was and would always be his priority. He just didn't know what to pick.

Oliver and several of the rest - but not all - flinched at the hollow thunk followed by a curse when Barry hit the doorway with the chair, rather than going through it.

Barry was shaking.

_Barry needed him more than his anger did._

Oliver turned on his heel and stalked to Barry and the doorway, pulling the wheelchair back so they could manoeuvre it out. Barry stopped trying, just letting Oliver take control while he tried to stifle sobs.

Zoom had won, and Oliver _hated it_.

"I'm gonna end him, Ollie," Barry bit out in thinly veiled anger. "I'm gonna end him myself."

 

> Barry had not been lying when he said he prepared.
> 
> Oliver knew faintly that Barry must've taken care of all the necessary preparations between Oliver telling him to get into the shower and actually _getting_ into the shower, and that made him marvel all the more at the perfection of his boyfriend.
> 
> Oliver dipped two fingers into Barry to make sure, but Barry was clean, stretched and slick like he used half a tube of lube at once. The latter was likely Oliver's fault, after he'd once spent almost an hour lecturing Barry for damaging himself trying to prepare too quickly when he couldn't feel the pain. Barry had refused any sort of sex for a month after that, so Oliver still wasn't sure if he truly won that argument or not, but he _did_ learn that day that Barry would only accept so much patronisation. 
> 
> "Fuck, you're all ready aren't you?"
> 
> Barry was smiling, his arms still wrapped around Oliver's neck even after Oliver had gently put him down on the bed. He never did like letting go of Oliver anymore, savouring every bit of physical contact he could feel.
> 
> "All ready, just for you. I want you, Ollie."
> 
> "You're beautiful." Oliver leaned in to brush their lips together, but not for long. He needed to pull away again to admire the sight of his love splayed out beneath him. The beauty of his smile, the love in his eyes, the arch of his shoulders for his arms to be up and around Oliver. The soft rub of Barry's fingers against the fuzz of his hairline in his neck was as telling as those large expressive eyes were.
> 
> Barry might not feel it physically when Oliver hooked his legs over his arms to pull them up and press his cock to Barry's slick and gaping hole, he could _feel_ it with all the emotions, no different from before.
> 
> They didn't have sex like this very often anymore because Barry tended to prefer blowing Oliver or giving him a hand job nowadays, but it made it all the more special.
> 
> Oliver pressed in slowly, carefully, and even if Barry's body didn't arch and his muscles didn't clench with resistance, Oliver could watch Barry's pupils dilate as his eyes followed Oliver's body moving. Barry moaned softly for him and Oliver had to close his eyes for a moment to not lose it.
> 
> Eyes closed, he could still find Barry's lips, and they were hungry for his kisses. Barry's fingers started stroking the back of Oliver's neck in a rhythm now, and Oliver picked it up immediately with his hips. As soon as he started moving Barry started to make noises of content into his mouth, and even if Oliver knew the sounds were purely for him, purely for the show of it, it wasn't _any less hot_. Barry just _loved_ pulling Oliver apart by the seams like that, delighting in every little slip on Oliver's usual expert control.
> 
> "Always so hot," he muttered against Barry's lips, his hips pivoting with slow deep thrusts. "You burn like an oven, Barr, it's so hot being inside of you."
> 
> Barry made a sound that was distinctly like a giggle, and Oliver shifted so he could grab Barry's cock.
> 
> Barry was barely hard yet, but that was to be expected with how little Oliver had touched him there so far. It was easy to stroke him to full hardness though, and even if Barry could not feel the touch itself, Oliver knew he would be able to enjoy an orgasm regardless.
> 
> "I love you, Ollie."
> 
> Barry sounded so in love, it pulled a deep moan from Oliver this time. The sound drew a wide, happy smile on Barry's face, and Oliver buried himself deep inside, his face into Barry's neck to bite down sharply.
> 
> "B-Barry- fuck Barry-"
> 
> "Come inside of me, Ollie," Barry urged, voice soft and husky and _demanding_. "I want you to. I want you to give me everything."
> 
> _Everything_ .
> 
> Oliver's rhythm faltered and he panted against Barry's neck as he came, buried to the hilt inside of Barry's pliant body.
> 
> _He would always give Barry everything_ .
> 
> "I love you, Ollie," Barry whispered against his ear.
> 
> "I love you so much," Oliver returned, almost whimpering with the intensity of how he meant it.
> 
> He took maybe ten seconds of reprieve before pulling back, watching his lover under him and returning his loving smile. Then, he sat back, letting Barry's legs down on the bed and starting to stroke him to his own orgasm. It wasn't something Barry let him do very often yet, but Barry was getting more and more comfortable with Oliver touching him where he couldn't feel.
> 
> And he would give Barry _everything_.

 

"Ta-dah!"

Oliver looked up from behind the bed with Barry, drowsily blinking for a moment as he took in Cisco standing there proudly.

He wasn't sure what Cisco was showing to Barry, the railing of the hospital bed being in the way, but Barry had pushed himself upright to stare with wide, excited eyes.

The look of excitement on his lover's face was what truly woke Oliver up. He stood up immediately to stand by Barry's side, peering over the bed to see what Cisco had brought them.

It was a wheelchair.

But not a large, electric wheelchair like the old Wells' was. It was a small and agile looking model with a very low back that would give Barry all the space to move his upper body around. It had sturdy, angled wheels with grips for Barry to roll them himself, and unfamiliar tech under the seat.

The whole thing was worked out in Flash red, both wheels adorned with the Flash's logo over the spokes, as large as the wheels themselves.

"You made a Flash wheelchair?" Barry asked, voice full of wonder.

"Yeah dude! Friction-proof tires and everything! Zoom may have broken your back, but you're still a hero. You're still the Flash!"

"The Flash is going to be very limited to wheelchair accessible areas," Barry said doubtfully, and Oliver put a supporting hand on his shoulder.

But Cisco was not fazed, grinning even wider while leaning down for a handle. He pushed it and the wheelchair all but flipped, angling back smoothly. "Nu-uh, you're not. You'll be running up the side of buildings again in no time! It has levers to flip the chair in each and every way and extra stabilisers on the wheels. You can run up _stairs_ with this one - with a bit of practice. I got ya, buddy."

This time when Barry teared up, it was not frustration, humiliation or pain. This time, when Barry teared up, it was _hope._

Oliver leaned over to hug Barry tightly, and he felt like he was grinning like an idiot but Barry was laughing for the first time in over a week and god, he had missed that.

_It would all be fine. Barry would be fine._

"Come on man, don't just sit there crying, _try the new wheels_!"

Watching Barry successfully levering himself from the bed into the new wheelchair for the first time… well, maybe he wouldn't need Oliver as much as he had thought initially.

But even so, Oliver would always be there for Barry when he needed him.

Just like Barry would for him.


End file.
